


Impossible Things

by Whitefox



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-20
Updated: 2013-02-20
Packaged: 2017-11-29 21:52:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/691878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whitefox/pseuds/Whitefox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years on: Mike's moving up in the world, Harvey has Plans, and Jessica has a migraine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Impossible Things

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly an experiment to see if I could get the voices right. No idea if I succeeded, so please let me know!

“Harvey.”

“This better not be about the Coleridge briefs.”  Harvey didn’t bother to look up from the papers plastered in a grayscale mosaic over his desk, which Mike thought was unforgivably rude right at this moment.  He was practically vibrating in place as he stood just inside his (old?) boss’s office, and he was obscurely disappointed that Harvey didn’t just _know_ , like psychically or something.  Donna had taken one look at him, beamed (her omniscience was never in question), and waved him through despite the early hour.  Harvey should be glad Mike had waited even this long, really, and not come barging into his penthouse last night straight from the restaurant.  It’d been a close thing, but Mike was determined to be professional about this, dammit.  If nothing else.

Because this was big, this was dinner with Jessica last night, and...and.  

“No, but it’s important.”  

“It’s also _early_ , rookie.  I’m still working on my sixth impossible thing.”

“Harvey!”

_“What,_ Mike?”  And then he finally looked up and saw Mike, and the way his eyes widened ever so slightly told Mike everything he needed to know about exactly how manic he looked right now.

“I made partner,” he blurted.  And, okay, he had definitely meant to drag that out a bit more, milk the suspense for all it was worth - which was a hell of a lot, and _damn_ what an opportunity to miss - but it was out now, so he’d better roll with it.  “Partner!  After three years, that’s--”

“As fast as me,” Harvey finished, an honest smile starting to bloom on his face, and Mike felt like the sun was rising even though the city was still dim through the windows.  “Good work, rookie.”

“Not a rookie anymore,” Mike said, and felt like his own grin might break his face.

“Oh, you’ve still got a ways to go before you can hope to be as awesome as me,” Harvey said, his smile twisting into a more familiar smirk that somehow still managed to warm Mike from the inside out.  “... _Junior_.”

“You’ll run out of nicknames eventually,” Mike pointed out.  “And believe me, I know.  Jessica still yells at you way more.”

“That’s just because she doesn’t enjoy kicking puppies.  Treasure those years of mercy, they won’t come again.  You’re playing with the big dogs now.”

“Are you ever going to stop spouting fortune cookie advice?”  

“Not as long as you still need it,” Harvey said, and Mike translated that to _never_ and felt his jitters start to ease.  “You should just be glad you missed out on most of the pony lectures.”

Mike’s face went slack with horror.  “Oh god, you mean there’s _more?”_

“One for every occasion,” Harvey agreed.  “You should ask one of the fifth year associates sometime.  Actually, no, don’t.  You might never recover, and I need my junior partner to be mentally stable.”

“ _Your_ junior partner?  I’m pretty sure you can only claim associates, Harvey.”

“Well I’m not risking my luck hiring another one after how that last one turned out, so I guess you’ll just have to make do.”  And clearly Mike needed to work on his situational awareness because suddenly Harvey was way too close.  He must have been moving closer the entire time, but Mike had been too caught up in the banter to notice until Harvey was _right there._  He was so close Mike could feel his body heat, and he’d never been great at resisting temptation – well, not before he met Harvey, anyway.  Tension skittered along his spine, his breath came shallow, he wanted desperately to move  – but he was a junior _partner_ now, for god’s sake, and he had to show Harvey that he couldn’t intimidate him.  Mike stood his ground.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” Harvey rumbled near his ear, and Mike was definitely imagining the undertones to that invitation, because this was _Harvey_ – womanizing, cavalier, debonair Harvey.  Who absolutely could not be interested in him that way.

“We’ll celebrate,” Harvey continued, in the same tone, and Mike just stared.  No way.

There was a long, stunned pause.

“Okay,” Mike blurted when he couldn’t take it anymore, and Harvey smirked and finally, _finally_ stepped back.  Acting like nothing was amiss and he hadn’t just sent Mike into mental flatline, he swanned back around his desk and began flicking through what Mike now recognized as the Coleridge briefs.

“At seven, then?”

“Right,” Mike squeaked, and fled.

 

*

 

“Mike told me the good news.”

Jessica nodded absently, already neck-deep in the paperwork required for the naming of a new junior partner.  She wondered if people would understand her reluctance to promote better if they knew how much damn paperwork was involved.  Probably not.  “Kid deserves it.”

“He does,” Harvey agreed.  “He’s come a long way.”

At that, Jessica looked up and graced her top closer with one of her rare genuine smiles.  “That he has.”  As quickly as it had come, the softness faded and her smile sharpened.  Wouldn’t do to let him think they shared a soft spot.  “Particularly for a kid who still doesn’t have a college degree, never mind a JD.  You must be so proud.”

Harvey didn’t rise to the bait, which was always a bad sign.  “I’m taking him out for dinner tonight.”

It took Jessica a moment to match the words to his expression and let the meaning sink in.  Even then…  “You’re kidding.”

Harvey got that crazy determined look on his face that Jessica knew from much experience meant she could either try to talk him down from his cliff (usually unsuccessful, especially lately, and who really had that kind of time?) or give him a push and hope he could fly (he often could).  “I’m not asking your permission.  I just thought you should know.  In the interests of transparency.”

“Before today, I would have said _you_ were the one to ask for permission, Harvey.”  She’d meant it as an admonishment, but Harvey clearly didn’t take it that way, instead just nodding like she’d acknowledged a fact he’d always known to be true.  And apparently not at all in conflict with his stated intention to sleep with his associate.  Ex-associate.  A thought occurred to her, and she barked out a sudden brittle laugh.  “It’s always that goddamn kid with you.  How long has this been going on?”

“It will start tonight,” Harvey said evenly, looking more serious than she had seen him in a while.  Jessica was one of the few people who could still read Harvey easily, after all these years, and out of the two of them she knew she was the better liar.  He was telling the truth.

This conversation was starting to give her a migraine.  “Does he know?”

“Not yet.”

“You’re obnoxiously confident about your chances, in that case.”

Harvey scoffed, and Jessica was secretly relieved to see that serious expression lighten into something more familiar.  “I’m the best closer in the city.  I can close _Mike Ross.”_

The utter disdain in his voice made her lips twitch, but it also bemused her.  Harvey could be an ass at times, but he was never anything less than respectful and appreciative when it came to his conquests.  Then again, this was _Mike,_ who among many other unique qualities was also male.  She hadn’t been aware that Harvey was even interested in male conquests, so she supposed all bets were off.

She was getting sidetracked.

“Harvey, you were the one who picked this kid and put your career on the line to save his lying ass because you thought he would be the best damn lawyer we’d ever seen.  As much as it pains me to admit it, I think you were right.  Which is why I’m making the kid a junior partner after a measly _three years_.  I will _not_ let you risk all our careers now, after all that time, for this.”

The serious face was back.  “You’re not _letting_ me do anything.  This is a courtesy notice, nothing more.  Three years is a long time to wait, Jessica.  I’m done.”

She was sure it didn’t show, but Jessica was disturbed.  Harvey Specter did not wait.  Not for things, definitely not for people, and not even for the turning of the earth if money could buy him a way around it.  Apparently Mr. Ross was an exception in this too, just like everything else.  Enough was enough.  “No, Harvey.  He’s still under your authority and he’s the most promising associate I’ve seen since _you_ , so unless you’re planning to marry the kid—”

“Maybe I am.”

“Harvey!”  She couldn’t help it; the shock had to be vocalized.  If it came out sounding mostly just angry, well, that was just Jessica.  Harvey looked surprised at himself as well, but not surprised enough for the answer to be new to him.  He probably just hadn’t meant to admit to it.

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment.  They both knew she wouldn’t fire anyone over this, much as she felt like it at the moment, and he had clearly lost what little sense he had left.  She wasn’t sure there was anything left to say.  Except…

“Well.  I never thought you’d be the first to settle down, Specter.”

“To be fair, you’ve already been married.  At least I’m keeping you informed.”

Jessica glared, but didn’t bite.  She’d said all she intended to on that subject.  And she’d pretty much had it with this subject too, come to think of it.  “I don’t like it, but we both know I’ve never been able to tell you what to do when it comes to that damn kid.  Just don’t fuck it up.”

Harvey looked as relieved as Jessica felt.  “Aye aye, Cap’n.”

“I’m glad we understand each other, Mr. Paris,” she knocked back, and it was a struggle not to laugh at the way he mouthed _Voyager?_ at her in disbelieving horror.  “Now get out.”

To her intense relief, he did.  And not for the first time, Jessica mourned the lack of real office walls when she wanted nothing more than to collapse on her desk for a good five boneless minutes.  After that conversation, she felt she deserved them.  But alas, the burdens of leadership did not allow for such displays.

She glanced at the clock (only quarter past three, at least two hours to go before she could safely leave) and uncapped her smoothest pen.  She was more than ready for this day to be over, but in the meantime she might as well get a start on making this promotion official on paper, before Harvey made it official in…other ways.

She grimaced at the mental image.  And if her signature came out a little more forcefully than usual, well, no one could see _that_ through the glass walls.

Goddamn kid.

 

 


End file.
